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ASA R. llEYN AND NAPOLEON B. REYNOLDS, OFAUBURN, NEW YORK,

Letters Patent 1Y0. 70,471, dated November 5, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN TEMPERING STEEL..

TO ALL ,WHOM' IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, Asn R. REYNOLDS and NAPOLEON B. REYNOLDS, o fAuburn, in the county of Cayuga, and State ofv New York, have invented/certain new and useful Improvements in Tempering Cutlery, or cutting instruments, made in whole or in partof steel, under a head of flowing water; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which i Figure Lrepresents a top plan of a guide orapparatus by which the vtempering under a head of owing water may be readily and uniformly done.

Figure 2 represents a vertical section through the -guide or .apparatus Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the'separatc iigures, denote like parts in both ofthe drawings. I I,

O ur invention relates to the tempering of articles made in whole or in part of steel, under a head of flowing water, by which means great uniformity and ineness of grannlation of the metal is attained, and without so high a heat as is usual ih tempering cutlery or cutting instruments,.and without lits liability to crack or warp.

To enable others skilled inthe art to makeand use our invention, we will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings. v I

i A represents a horizontal chamber, of a pyramidal'form, and enclosed by suitably, strong metallic sides, B, and end piece, G. Into the small end of this horizontal pyramidal chamber a water pipe, D,'is introduced, which may extend upwards to a tank or reservoir, or which may connectotherwisewith a head of water of sufficient height for the purpose. Through the base or end of this chamber there Nis an opening, E, of suchl form as may best suit the shape or size. of the article to be tempered, or so as to best throw thc current of water upon the special parts of theartiele to be tempered.' In front of the end or base-plate C there is n. guide-roller, F, between which and the projecting anges G'the article, such as a plane-iron,'.chisel, sicklesection, or other similar thing of an uniform thickness, and of parallel or nearly parallel sides, is inserted, and which rests upon thcsheli' a, Aand is thus supported in proper positionl with regard to the flow of water against it through the opening E, as tol remainrmly in place 4against the force of the current, and be easily and readily inserted and removed therefrom. Around and underneath the'article so placed there is suilicient free and unineumbered space or waterway for the iow of water to freely escape the moment after striking' against the article that is being tempered. v f

For ordinary tempering, the head of water may be, or equal to apressure of, seven or eight feet. in height,

- but may vary according to the temperature or heat taken in the article to be tempered. We iind, in practice', that the higher the head, or the greater the pressure of water in or through the guide, or tempering-head, or nozzle, the less the steel need be heated; and that the less the heat in the steel, the better is the temper, as the granulation of the metal is proportionately ner. When the ow of water is rapid and strong, it quickly absorbs or takesup the heat from the steel, and as suddenly carries it` away, to bev succeeded by a continuous sudden subjection and passing o', and thus instantaneously tempers or granulates the 'particles of steel.

For tempering axes, hatchets, files, or other similar articles,.where there' is a greater quantity of'steel, and the sides not parallel, we propose to use two or more of these'guides or tempering-heads, placed opposite to each other, and the axe, hatchet, le, or other article, placed between the two heads, so that there shall bea ilow or current of water upon each side, and an escape for the water all around except at' the points of support.

It is important that the article should be quickly placed i'n'the position where the water is to strike it, because the proper heat is to be preserved, and-it runs out quicklyafter being raised from the bath ofmolten metal, in which we prefer to heat it, as a Vmore uniform degree of heatis thus attained. I

The column of flowing water may strike nearly central of the articleto be tempered, which insures that part of it to be properly tempered, which is not `the case when it is dipped into water end or edgewise; and by our mode the temper runs from the centre to the edges, whilst, by the dipping or immersion in water 'at rest, itv runs from the edges to the centre, and is so very hard at the edges asV to be with diiiiculty groundoii, whilst the metal, when thin,'wi1l Hy like glass when-strained, and is soft in the centre. By o ur'plan the centref'is iirs't tempered, and the temper runs to the edges, leaving all portions of a uniform degree of' hardness, and of most perfect granulation of metal. Y

Having thus fully described our' invention, vwhat 'we claim is- Tempering articles made in whole'or in part of steel, by means of a head of tiowing water, and o. guiding and holding, hardening, or tempering-head, substantially as herein described.

AASA R. REYNOLDS, NAPOLEON' B. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses C. MAcDoeeAnr., E. L. Passons. 

